Sunday, August 5, 2012

Seeing "the World" Tip 3.5: Epcot Really is for Kids, Part 2

Nighttime at the World Showcase

Welcome back to Seeing "the World." In the last entry, we talked about kid friendly activities in the Future World half of Epcot. This time, we're covering The World Showcase, including looks at the Agent P World Showcase Adventure, the Duffy the Disney Bear Kidcot activity, and the World Showcase Passport activity.Agent P World Showcase Adventure

The Agent P World Showcase Adventure is an interactive activity for the whole family. Join Agent P, the platypus secret agent, as he tries to thrawt the plans of the evil Dr. Doofinsmirtz! The game uses a cell-phone like aparatus available at a number of locations around the World Showcase. Just go talk to a cast member, and you will be assigned a time to get your device. When you recieve your device, you will also be assigned a country in which your secret mission will take place. If there are no crowds, you will be given a F.O.N.E. device immediately to begin the game. Soon, you will be interacting with the World Showcase pavillions in whole new ways, finding secret effects that are the direct result of your work with Agent P. Finish one mission and want more Perry action? No worries, the game will give you the option of playing in a new country before returning the device.

Duffy the Disney Bear or Agent P Kidcot Activity

Duffy Activity (image property of Deb Willis of allears.net)

The Duffy the Disney Bear or Agent P Kidcot activity is a great free way for kids to get a cute souvenir. It's also a fantastic way to get children to interact with cast members from the 11 different nations of the World Showcase. Simply go to the Kidcot station in any pavillion to get started (they're usually located in or near the gift shops). The best way to start is to either get your Duffy in Canada or Mexico, that way you get to complete the activity in all the countries without backtracking. Cast members in each pavillion will stamp Duffy with a stamp representing their country. Cast members in China, Japan, and Morocco will also write your child's name on the back of Duffy in his or her nation's respective language. For added fun, help your children learn how to say "hello," "goodbye," and "thank you" in each of the World Showcase languages for when they talk to the cast members. Here's some help

Language Hello Goodbye Thank You

Spanish Hola Adios Gracias

Chinese Ni Hao Zai Jian Xie Xie (Pronounced "shae shae")

Italian Ciao Ciao Grazie

Japanese Konnichi-wa Sayonara Arigato

French Bonjour Au Revoir Merci

World Showcase Passport

World Shocase Passport Kit (image property of stitchkingdom.com)

Do you have children who just aren't that interested in Duffy or Agent P? They can still get in on the fun of interacting with international cast members, but it's going to cost a little extra. For $10, your child can purchase a World Showcase Passport. The Passport also comes with stickers and a World Showcase button. Upon arriving at each country, go to the Kidcot stations and present your passport. The cast member there will then stamp the book and write your child a special message in his or her native language. This activity provides a bit more interaction with cast members than the Duffy activity and is geared towards older children (at least 6 years old). These books can be purchased at most merchandise locations in World Showcase, but, as with the Duffy activity, purchasing in Mexico or Canada will allow you to avoid backtracking.